


Adding Insult to Injury

by JetGirl1832, tomatopudding



Series: The Hamilton Family Album [64]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anniversary, Excercise, F/M, Gen, dad bod
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 09:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/pseuds/JetGirl1832, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatopudding/pseuds/tomatopudding
Summary: So Alex doesn't exactly look the same way he did when he got married 27 years ago. He doesn't need Angelica to remind him of that fact.





	Adding Insult to Injury

December 2017

It was nice be surrounded by friends and family Alex smiled as he looked around the restaurant where they had all gathered to celebrate Alexander and Eliza's 27th wedding anniversary. After all 27 years was a long time, but it wasn't like Alex would trade it for anything in the world.

They had rented out a back room at a local Italian restaurant and invited all of their friends and family. And when they said all of them, they meant it. So naturally everyone did their best to come. Peggy, Stephan and Stephanie from Philly, Angelica and her family from Albany. Even George and Martha had come out for a visit.

After dinner there was, of course cake, (chocolate ganache, a favorite of the Hamiltons) and everyone had divided up into groups to chat and enjoy dessert. Alex found himself set between his wife and her older sister Angelica. 

 

He was only half paying attention to the conversation, focused on the slice of delicious cake on the plate before him. It was a really good cake.

"Earth to Alex."

Alex's attention snapped back to the real world to find Angelica smirking at him. 

"Oh good, you're here. The way you were looking at it, you'd think it was that cake you've been married to for twenty-something years," she snarked. 

 

"Hey," Alex's face turned red with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

"I only speak the truth," Angelica smirked.

"Don't be mean," Eliza scolded with a chuckle, "Go ahead and enjoy that cake, dear."

And Alex did just that, but clearly Angelica was not yet done having her fun at his expense.

 

"You're obviously feeding him too well," she told her sister, "he's getting a bit of dad bod."

"There's nothing wrong with dad bod," Alex said primly. 

When Angelica rolled her eyes fondly and continued her conversation with Eliza, Alex surreptitiously poked at his stomach. He's never been one of those guys with a six pack, but he was definitely softer around the middle than he remembered. 

Glancing at his wife he couldn't help but notice it appeared that she had not really changed at all. Alex purses his lips in thought, well if Eliza could do it so could he.

\----------

Alex was no stranger to waking up early in the morning, although usually he didn't usually do so on the weekends. Today he had decided to take the first step towards losing his dad bod: yoga. Jamie and Eliza did yoga together every Saturday morning and had been for a few years now. It didn't matter that Jamie was 19 and technically lived on the Columbia campus, he would always make the trek Friday night or stupidly early Saturday morning so as not to miss their weekly sessions. It was currently winter break, which meant that Jamie was at home anyway. 

So as Eliza slipped out of the bathroom Alex rolled out of bed and went brush his teeth.

"Alex?" Eliza raised her brow.

 

"Yoga," Alex said around his toothbrush, "I'm doing it too."

"Um, okay," Eliza shrugged, "well this is new."

"Thought I'd give it a shot," Alex replied.

Eliza began to smile, "That's alright with me, and I'm sure Jamie won't mind."

Alex smiled back at her before finishing to brush his teeth and going to get dressed.

When they moved back to NYC, one is the things that Eliza had really wanted was a larger living room area and that's what they had found. Even though they had sacrificed some bedroom space, Alex really liked the openness of the main portion of the apartment. Jamie was already awake, sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat as he stretched his back. When he saw his father, a huge grin spread across his face. 

"Hey dad," he greeted. 

"How are you so awake?" Alex asked incredulously, "How many cups of coffee did you have?"

Jamie rolled his eyes, "Dad, you know I've been caffeine free for years."

Alex wasn't able to suppress a shudder. Trying to be healthier was all well and good, but he would never be able to give up coffee. 

He always marveled at how Jamie had been able to do it, but from a young age he'd always been more of a tea drinker. However between Angie and himself it seemed unlikely that Alex would ever have to worry about there being a shortage of coffee in the house.

 

"Time's a wasting," Jamie said, "let's get this party started."

Jamie and Eliza had a very structured yoga routine, Alex soon found out, and they had been doing it for so long that neither of them bothered to call out poses or give any sort of direction. They were so in sync while Alex lagged slightly behind. It was also a lot more work than Alex had ever realized. Poses felt like they went on forever. 

As Eliza went into downward dog she happened to catch the bemused look on her husband's face as her ponytail flopped in front of her swinging like a pendulum. 

"Alex are you alright?"

 

"Yup, I'm good," Alex grunted his feet sliding slightly as he changed poses trying to keep up, how was it that they made this look so easy?

Not to mention, his wrists were starting to ache and he was certain that yoga wasn't supposed to make him this sweaty. 

 

"Maybe want to rest for a moment?" Eliza suggested gently, "And pick up again in a bit?"

 

"Nope," Alex shook his head, "got it."

Eventually, though, he had to admit defeat. Alex huffed out a breath and carefully untangled himself to sit on the mat, his legs extended in front of him. He watched as his wife and son continued their routine. Maybe he would start jogging instead. At least he knew the steps to that. 

 

\----------

It had been nearly two weeks since Alex had gone on his health kick and it wasn't easy. It certainly didn't help that it was the holiday season which made things a little more difficult. If there was ever a test on the strength of Alex's willpower this was it.

 

Ever since his first real Christmas with the Schuylers, Alex loved everything about the holiday. Every treat his mother-in-law or his wife made in celebration, being able to give his kids pretty much anything they wanted (although Eliza usually had to rein him in), to the all around holiday feeling. But this attempt to ditch extra weight was really putting a damper on the mood, even with Christmas being only a few short days away. 

Eliza was just beginning to prep, and had even made a batch of cookies from a new recipe she wanted to try so their apartment was filled with the scent of cinnamon and the hint of vanilla extract. He may not have had a sweet tooth like Laurens did but Alex certainly loved baked goods.

And tonight all seven kids were over for dinner, which hadn't really happened for some time, so Eliza was going all out. But Alex, Alex would be good. He'd stick to the plan he'd begrudgingly set for himself knowing full well Eliza was making his favorite recipe of hers. His stomach was growling just thinking about it. 

"Alex, come taste," Eliza called, "I need to know if something's missing."

"Can't," Alex replied, searching his brain for an excuse, "I'm...not hungry."

 

If he'd been looking at his wife Alex would have noticed the confused look on her face.

"I suppose I'll ask Jamie," Eliza muttered.

Of course, that didn't solve the problem of what he would do when dinner time came around. Alex had been following one of those online food fads and had a nice healthy kale smoothie on his dinner menu tonight. 

Well as nice as a kale smoothie could be, it was most certainly not a favorite of his, but it was a superfood for a reason.

A few hours later everyone had arrived and there was not a single open space to sit in their apartment.

"Alright everyone it's time for dinner!" Eliza called out.

It was a veritable stampede as everyone went to sit themselves around the table, Maggie not far behind knowing that dinner time meant there was treats to be had whether they be intentional or accidental.

Alex was slightly slower on the uptake and carefully made his way to the table. 

He went to grab his smoothie before joining everyone else at the table. Of course he couldn't refuse food entirely, so Alex took a small amount and hoped that in the hubbub of all the kids being there Eliza wouldn't pay attention to the fact that his portion was much smaller than usual. 

 

He was not so lucky, between all her years as a parent and being a teacher Eliza tended to notice everything. She caught his eye and raised a brow questioningly. Alex cringed and shrugged. Obviously they would be talking about this. 

Philip and Angie had taken it upon themselves to do the dishes while everyone else was chatting in the living room.

Eliza provided the excuse that they needed to talk about Christmas stuff and nodded for Alex to come with her to his office.

Eliza crossed her arms and jumped in without any preamble. 

"What's going on?" she asked. 

"What do you mean?" Alex replied attempting to sound innocent but the guilt was obvious.

"Twenty seven years," Eliza said, "that's how long we've been married. We've known each other for even longer than that. Did you really think I wouldn't notice a change in your behavior?"

Alex face his face get red, "No," he muttered like a child being scolded.

 

Eliza sighed and gently took Alex's hands in his own, "What's going on, Alex? Talk to me."

Alex sighed, there was no way he could lie about this further, "You remember what Angelica said at our anniversary party...about me having a dad bod?"

 

Eliza's eyes widened slightly in realization, "It really bothered you, didn't it?"

Alex felt himself blush. He hadn't blushed in forever. 

"Yes," Alex sighed.

"Well you shouldn't let it," Eliza leaned in to kiss his cheek, "because despite what Angelica says, I like the dad bod."

Alex furrowed his brow, "You do?"

"Mhmm," Eliza wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, "It makes for prime cuddling."

 

"But look at you," Alex insisted, "you haven't changed a bit in all these years!"

“Haven’t changed a bit?” Eliza snorted, “you must have your ‘I love my wife goggles’ on to think I haven’t changed a bit. You don’t give birth to seven kids and not have battle scars, honey.”

"But-"

"Hush," Eliza put her fingers to his lips, "I just want you to know that I wouldn't change it for the world, we can't look like we are in our twenties forever."

"Tell that to Herc's abs," Alex grumbled. 

"Herc isn't you," Eliza laughed, "otherwise I would have married him," she teased.

Alex managed to huff out a laugh, "I suppose. I didn't expect a throw away comment to affect me so much."

"It's surprising what words can do," Eliza rest her head on his chest, "you of all people should know that."

"I suppose so," sighed Alex, squeezing Eliza tighter. 

"Now there's nothing wrong with eating healthy and going jogging," Eliza told him, "but only if you're doing it for yourself, not because you think I'd like you better or anything like that. I love you just the way you are, no matter what."

Alex smiled and kissed the top of her head, god did he love his wife, "So since I missed out on dessert, is there any leftover or do you think the hungry horde devour it all?"

"I'm sure they left you a few crumbs," Eliza chuckled.

"Crumbs, oh joy," Alex rolled his eyes.

"I might have made a little extra," she confided.

Alex grinned and kissed her cheek, "I love you."


End file.
